This study evaluated the parasite fauna on the gills of spotted goatfish Pseudupeneus maculatus captured in the dry and rainy seasons in the coast of the State of Pernambuco, Brazil. Eight parasite species were identified belonging to the following taxa: Monogenea (Haliotrema caraïbensis, Haliotrema caballeroi and Haliotrema golvani); Crustacea (Rocinela signata, Hamaticolax scutigerulus and Caligidae gen. sp.) and Cestoda (Nybelinia indica and Pseudolacistorhynchus noodti). The most prevalent parasites were: Monogenea (100%), H. scutigerulus (35%), N. indica (11.7%), R. signata (8.3%), Caligidae gen. sp. (3.33%) and P. noodti (0.83%). Values of infestation are compared to other studies, and the uncommon occurrence of Trypanorhyncha on the gills suggests that the spotted goatfish could be an intermediate host for the parasite.Keywords: marine fish, infestation, parasitology. Metazoários parasitos de brânquias do saramunete

Thirty groups of twenty juveniles each of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus, initial average weight 23.93 ± 0.80 g) were fed diets containing increasing amounts (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of levels used by the tilapia feed industry) of organic trace mineral (Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, Se) supplementation for 56 days. Growth was not affected by the dose of mineral supplementation. However, body protein increased in fish fed intermediate doses of organic minerals, reaching a maximum at 40.44% supplementation. Doses >50% showed mild damage to the intestinal tissue. Body Fe, Zn and Cu deposition were highest at 28.32%, 24.43% and 78.45% supplementation, respectively. Tilapia could modulate intestinal morphology when fed different doses of organic minerals. As the supplementation doses increased, hemosiderin staining increased in the distal intestine and total body Fe content, indicating that the distal region of the intestine plays an important role in iron excretion by tilapia. Supplementation of organic trace minerals at intermediate doses does not harm Nile tilapia growth, but excessive trace mineral supplementation can impair body protein retention and promote histological alterations in the gut.

We evaluated the possible interaction between feeding frequency (FF) and feeding rate (FR) on growth, nutrient utilization, body composition, and plasma metabolites of juvenile Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (6.57 g). We tested three FFs: two, four, and six times a day, and two FRs: apparent satiation (AS) or restricted regime (RR), following a completely randomized design in a factorial arrangement, in quadruplicate. The daily weight gain and specific growth rate were 56 and 19% higher in fish fed to AS than in fish fed under the RR, respectively. However, feed efficiency was 14% higher in fish fed in the RR. Fish fed to AS presented the highest body lipid (8.92%), whereas the fish fed in the RR showed the lowest (6.64%). Glucose and triglycerides were also higher in fish fed to AS. The protein retention ratio was highest in the RR (49.17% vs. 42.51%, respectively). Fish fed to AS showed 34% more body protein but 62% more body fat than the fish fed in the RR. There was no difference in feed efficiency or weight gain regarding FF, regardless of the FR. Therefore, feeding Nile tilapia juveniles twice a day is enough to achieve optimum growth.

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ABSTRACT. Bomolochidae Claus, 1875 is a copepod family with worldwide distribution that parasitizes marine fishes. This study provides the first report of Hamaticolax scutigerulus (Wilson, 1935) (Copepoda: Bomolochidae) in the spotted goatfish Pseudupeneus maculatus (Bloch, 1793), in the coastal waters of Pernambuco, northeastern Brazil. Prevalence of 35%, mean intensity of infestation of 1.9±1.3 and mean abundance of 0.7±1.2 were found. The setae and spines of the leg armor of the Hamaticolax species were analyzed to identify the present species.